Bearfoot successfully rolled into Drummer Boy RV Resort in Gettysburg, PA yesterday shortly before some truly violent t-showers came blowing through cooling the 90 degree temps down into the 60's. Most welcome! The trip north on Rt. 1, the Washington Hwy, was delightful with new pavement, 4 lanes of very quiet road and few stoplights. We jumped on 15/29 and found a bit more traffic but still very pleasant; then 15 right into Gettysburg. These wonderful old highways are much better than beating yourself up on I 95 or some of the others. This is a nice park with wireless internet service and cable tv at all full service sites. It is nicely wooded and the sites feel more private than in some of the parks where we are cramped closely together.
Back to the journey before this one: It is April 6th and I am headed north to Myrtle Beach, SC. It seems Savannah, GA drew Bearfoot in like a magnet. My plan was to bypass but without a navigator (Sebastian refuses to learn), I ended up headed E at an intersection of 4 lanes. I had to make a decision - go on further in search of a place to turn around but getting deeper into the City or attempt a u-turn. I opted for the u-turn. It was very tight for our 55' (with the dinghy). My heart rate increased as I straddled the line at the light - taking up as much space as I could without having horns blowing in protest. When the light changed, I pulled out into the intersection as far as I could before cranking the wheel sharply in a left turn. I prayed to the Goddess of women rvers, Rvena and my dad who had been a trucker before his death. Bearfoot swung around with the right front tire going up over the curb a bit, Of course, where the mothership goes so goes the dinghy. I watch in the rear view mirror the right front tire of Lil' Cub (my car)going up over the curb. A breathe a sigh and a Thanks Be to God and Goddesses alike. I also hail a thanks to the patient motorists as I head out of town. Not the end of the story though - I once again missed my turn and had to make another very similar u-turn in heavy traffic before getting on 17 N. By that time, I was pleading with God to get me out of Savannah. I vowed to invest in a GPS a.s.a.p. Exhausted but exhilerated to have handled a tense situation by myself, I haul into Point South, SC KOA. An oasis for sure. The sky is threatening as I quickly set up Bearfoot and walk Sebastian. This campground has proven to be a haven for me before because it is right off Hwy. 17 and I 95. they also are a friendly welcoming park and offer pizza delivery as well as cable tv. The t-showers move in while Sebastian and I cuddle in under our down comforter, safe aboard our rolling home.
Lot's of mud the next morning as I prepare Bearfoot to travel on up to the Beach. We chose Lakewood RV Resort in Southern Myrtle beach because it is quiet and less developed. We were given a site right next to the dunes where I could hear the waves 24/7. The weather was superb for a few days until it turned very cold and windy. What salty happy dog I have now as he resumes his clam digging in the shallows. I biked around the park every day for an hour and a half. There are over a thousand sites here. No internet service was readily available and I was desparate to pay bills so put the laptop in the car and drove around town finally seeing a sign, Computer Inferno. It was a store but obviously had wireless since I could park in the lot and do my computer business.
I am eager to get back on the road again and head back to the Old Dominion. Next stop New Bern, NC at the KOA for a few days to reconnect with friends. I had lived in that area for 13 years. My trusty weather radio warns of high winds on the heels of a cold front. I ignored my intuition and started north on 17. Bearfoot is quite stable normally. The wind was gusting to 35 and 40 mph and would periodicaly give a a push sideways. Having the wind on the beam was the most welcome point of sail during my sailing days but not now. It required constant vigilance and was exhausting. Having protection from the tree lined highway was helpful until Wilmington, NC up through Jacksonville where it is open and flat. As I approached the Twin Rivers bridge across the Trent and Neuse Rivers in New Bern, NC, I noticed the wind was blowing "smoke" on the river. The bridge is new, 65' high I think, long and bumpy as it spans both rivers. It is too late to quit now. Rvena, my dad and I whiteknuckle it or what seems morelike wrestling Bearfoot across to the KOA in Bridgeton. I actually released my seat belt thinking we might blow over the side into the water below. The sight of that triangular red and orange KOA sign warms my heart. My dear friend, Judi Wills, a wonderful massage therapist called and offered me a massage. Just what was needed for sore stiff shoulders and tense muscles. She had also prepared a delicious home cooked meal. Judi and her husband, John, always open their home and hearts to Sebastian and me. John and Linda Hinners from Whortonville, NC stopped by to take me to dinner in New Bern. The restaurant they had chosen was closed as were a couple of other favorites. We settled on Fred and Claire's. Our collective jaws dropped when we opened our menus. It was evident a major transformation had occurred. Here were dishes with a distinctive Country French flair in place of the downhome quisine of the past. I was left with the warm glow of sharing food and conversation with two friends who have been through many of the earth-shaking transitions in my life since 1989 when we met around another friend's table in Oriental,NC.
